MadisonRutledge wrote:I have no idea to whom formally I can lodge a protest, but in world, have sent note cards to various Committee seats, I am protesting the denial to me of the return of my Ambassadorship. Given very personal reasons I will not disclose here, and financial reasons RL, at the time I asked to be removed as an Ambassador, that for me needed to happen. A couple months later here, I have requested of the committee to be reinstated and was informed today by keo that I would not be. No reason as to why at all. Just no.

Madison, I do not believe that the Charter stipulates that the Committee is obligated in any way to state it's reasons for denying your re-instatement into the Ambassador role either publicly or privately. I would suspect that all of us would be happy to speak with you privately unless you would prefer that the reasons be given publicly here in the forum.

After checking with Zack regarding what recourse you have to protest the vote, you are utilizing it now and are more than welcome to state your opinions and case here. As regards any further recourse, there is none. Per the Charter, the only "group" allowed to vote on your request is the seated Committee. As Zack explained it to me, Ambassadors are not allowed to vote as it would present a conflict of interest.

I will also remind you that you stepped down from your Second Pride Ambassadorship, indeed from all involvement in Second Pride of your own accord. I am sorry for whatever was going on in your life that made you feel as if you needed to leave Second Pride. There really was no need. There is no requirement to participate on the forums or in world as an Ambassador. Your status as an Ambassador could not have been taken from you for inactivity or non-participation, even if you did not participate in a vote to which Ambassadors were called.

There is no requirement for Ambassadors to contribute L$ or any other kind of currency to Second Pride to maintain Ambassador status. SL is free to use for anyone. Many choose not to own or rent land. So if there was a financial reason you did not have access to the internet to log in, there is still no issue there. Neither Second Pride nor Second Life are that quick to delete accounts. The very fact that you are here with us as Madison is proof positive of that. So the argument that financial difficulties preventing you from maintaining your membership in Second Pride and holding on to your Second Pride Ambassadorship really holds no water.

As for your other personal reasons that you do not wish to disclose, those are yours to keep and are really beside the point here. You left of your own accord. You made a request to the current Committee to be reinstated. Per charter, that request was motioned to go to Committee vote, seconded and unanimously voted to proceed to voting. There was no discussion regarding your service to Second Pride. That is all on record. We are all well aware of your participation and service in so far as it has been documented and made available to us. We are all also well aware of some of the in world circumstances under which you chose to end your Ambassadorship and your association with Second Pride. Each Committee member proceeded to vote their conscience and the result was a majority that voted to deny your request for re-instatement.

It is unfortunate that you feel wronged. But the vote proceeded as required by the Charter and the result is clear.

We appreciate and applaud your ongoing efforts on behalf of Second Pride. You state, "I am ready and feel there is more I can do here even in limited capacity." No one here is preventing you from doing just that. Ambassador status is not required to stand in Pride with the rest of the LGBT community in SL and support Second Pride's programs, events and Festivals.

Peace,
Keo

There is a real injustice when a person cannot leave for whatever reason short of larceny and evil doing and return. I have no recourse adn no say in this and I will wager that if another Ambassador took leave of PRIDE for whatever reason, this would not be the case here such as I am being treated. That's fine. There are many things going on and many things like this which I am hearing about on the side. Its a shame to deny someone who worked as long and hard as I did, and Zack gave this Ambassadorship too due to that, gets treated in this way. I am not perfect a person, but for my very very few faux pas moments in 3 yrs and all the right ones and good I did do, this is what it comes too. Ok thats fine. That's fine. What you do now to people like me, reflects on you and in the end will be recalled. When you are in this seat I hope you will recall what was ufairly done to me. There are other venues and other PRIDES and what has gone on here recent mlonths is not lost on them. Treating people like me, like this does nothing but create situations and bad feelings over what was and didnt need to be a big deal but thats fine. You have made your choices, I will do with them what I will and must.
I am rarely unfair or set to anger. This has been both unfair and anger making. To the members who know me who have known me for years now who did not and have not spoken up to my defense or who voted me down, shame on you. I have supported you, often times personally as well as in PRIDE. To those of you I had words with, I am rarely given to them and perhaps even if out of line, ONCE or TWICE in ever, perhaps they were at least deserved by half. My work stands and my reputation as a Mentor and with other people outside this committee as a PRIDE CoChair and Chair now ended speaks for itself to the good.
A person has the right to leave a group and return. Sometimes it is wiser and better TO leave for a time and return. That's fine.
Thank you Keo for your looking into this. I posted here as was suggested to me by an Ambassador and former Chair. That is why this is 'public'.
If you ask around there are those who don't agree with this vote but then, as I have seen things beign played out here with other people and other situations this seems about the same as with them. Its very sad, unfair and wrong. Those things use to matter in PRIDE. Apparenly no longer.
Madison Rutledge

Keokipele Ansar wrote:Madison, I do not believe that the Charter stipulates that the Committee is obligated in any way to state it's reasons for denying your reinstatement into the Ambassador role either publicly or privately. I would suspect that all of us would be happy to speak with you privately unless you would prefer that the reasons be given publicly here in the forum.

Your probably right about the charter not specifically stating that reasons should be given. But at least the committee could have the common decency to talk to the person involved and explain there reasoning.

Keokipele Ansar wrote:...So the argument that financial difficulties preventing you from maintaining your membership in Second Pride and holding on to your Second Pride Ambassadorship really holds no water.

Well, it does as so far as it does not say anywhere that Ambassadors (staff members) don't get kicked out for lack of activity within the group.

Keokipele Ansar wrote:You made a request to the current Committee to be reinstated. Per charter, that request was motioned to go to Committee vote, seconded and unanimously voted to proceed to voting. There was no discussion regarding your service to Second Pride. That is all on record.

There is NO public record. So one could go as far as to say there is no full transparency within the Second Pride committee as to what goes on or what's been voted upon. This leads to questions and issues like these.

I call upon the committee, as a new Ambassador to Second Pride myself, for more openness and transparency. And a much improved form of communication to the general membership.
Share your plans, thoughts and ideas. Activate your group spirit and see who else has any bright idea's. We the community are surely willing to help

Your probably right about the charter not specifically stating that reasons should be given. But at least the committee could have the common decency to talk to the person involved and explain there reasoning.

I very clearly indicated my willingness to talk with Madison but have not been asked by her what my vote or what my reasoning for my vote was. And as I said, I suspect that any of the current Committee would be willing to do so. Since the question has not been put forth here in this forum, and Madison has chosen to delete her account here, this is not the place to do so.

Well, it does as so far as it does not say anywhere that Ambassadors (staff members) don't get kicked out for lack of activity within the group.

I'm sorry Stryker, but I'm not following you here. Can you elaborate? Perhaps I misspoke if Ambassadors (staff members) can get kicked out for lack of activity within the group. However, I would suspect that far more than financial hardship would be at play in such a case. As I said, there is no financial requirement of which I am aware for maintaining membership in Second Pride in any role. And the fact remains that Madison was not "kicked out" of Second Pride or her Ambassador role but removed/resigned herself. Whatever her reasons, it would have been simple enough for Madison to have stated that she would be inactive and not participating for an indefinite period but would not be giving up her membership in the Second Pride Ambassador or any other Second Pride group.

There is NO public record. So one could go as far as to say there is no full transparency within the Second Pride committee as to what goes on or what's been voted upon. This leads to questions and issues like these.

I believe I stated quite publicly here in response to Madison the process undertaken by the Committee regarding her request to be reinstated as an Ambassador. Knowingly reporting false information to Madison or publicly here on the forum regarding Committee actions would indeed be a very serious and actionable breach of trust. If you are questioning my honesty and integrity in reporting that process on behalf of the Committee, you have recourse per the Charter: Committee elections > ELECTIONS >

9. The Second Pride Committee are accountable to the Second Pride membership for their activities and communications.

• If the Second Pride membership feels that any member of the Second Pride Committee has failed to perform satisfactorily, a request may be adressed [sic]through the Membership Representative chairperson (or a Second Pride Ambassador, if the concern is about the mentionned chairperson) to have this Committee member removed from office.

• The vote must reach a 3/4 majority vote of both all SP Ambassadors and all current acting Committee Chairs united.

• The vote will be validated when this majority is reached, even if not all have voted.

In the interest of full disclosure regarding the outcome of the vote, I will post it here:

Should Madison Rutledge be re-included or re-instated in Second Pride in the role of Ambassador?
Yes, re-include / re-instate 0% [ 0 ]
No, do not re-include / re-instate 100% [ 6 ]
Total Votes : 6

As I stated above, publicly disclosing the reasoning for my vote in this public forum would be inappropriate without Madison's consent or public request within this forum. I would be more than happy to explain my reasoning to Madison either publicly or privately, but to this point I have been asked neither how I voted nor my reasoning for so voting.

I call upon the committee, as a new Ambassador to Second Pride myself, for more openness and transparency. And a much improved form of communication to the general membership.
Share your plans, thoughts and ideas. Activate your group spirit and see who else has any bright idea's. We the community are surely willing to help

So noted and I wholeheartedly agree. And in fact this Committee is planning public meetings in the very near future. Our Presiding Chair recently shared with attendees of the Teahouse of the August Moon event some of our goals and objectives regarding this year's Festival as well as the future of Pride. The Teahouse Event had a cast of over 35 Second Pride Members, attendance was off the charts and over L$200k was raised for Second Pride and Amnesty International. Our second major event, the September Art Walk is quickly approaching. Notecards with information about Second Pride and the opportunities available to all residents of SL are going out on a daily basis to groups, clubs, organizations and businesses and we currently have 3 Fundraiser Hosts planning events at their locations. Notices and announcements are posted in the appropriate sections across no less than 5 major forums related to business and daily life in SL as well as to many in world groups with the lists growing daily. So there is no doubt that our group spirit is indeed activated. And there is no one on this Committee or already involved who is not willing to listen to any and all bright (or even not so bright) ideas and to welcome any and all members, new or old who want to become involved, including Madison. That right and privilege has been denied to no one who seeks it.

Peace,
Keo

I won't get into the details and enter the debate. But I will say in this event I do stand behind the committee who has been following the charter.

Sorry Madison, but as I recall you were aware and reminded that leaving meant you could not get back in without a committee vote, and you decided to leave all positions anyways when it was - really - not necessary to do so if you knew you were going to want to come back.

If the committee voted not to give you back the title they must have their reasons which I believe they will surely share with you if you ask them. Other Ambassadors of SP cannot help you because the charter prevents it and this was to avoid any conflict of interest, since we cannot be the ones adding people inside our own group.

I understand there is frustration out of this, on your part, as you probably didn't expect that they would not validate your request to get back like this. But the committee is indeed the group responsible for this and has been given the power to make these decisions by everybody that participated in electing them.

And since the charter was followed as it should, there is nothing that can change the outcome except if you would change their minds, because as I said, asking Ambassadors to get involved would be against the charter directly.

Stryker, I do see where you come from and understand your feelings, but at this point I feel that you're not making those comments purely objectively.
Though I have supported you against committee actions in the past, I will remain loyal to the side I've always been defending - Second Pride - itself and its charter. You raise valid point about informing Madison of the reasons, she can ask and I believe they would tell her, only to my knowledge she hasn't yet. For all other things I will stand behind them as there is no point in trying to continue this debate this way.

You have obviously been hurt by the previous events, and in all honesty, even though I value your opinion, I think that you should consider giving things a rest for a while, because it prevents you, I think, to have a truly neutral judgement that is adapted to the current issue or situation we are talking about. Which I am trying to have. This is why I will add:
The committee is formed by a majority of good, talented and dedicated people who are willing to work forward and actually get this behind us and let the past be past. I do hope you did not claim your deserved Ambassador status to better serve a personal "revenge" against them. As I think you should agree that these are people who are as tired of you of what has been happening and that have clearly showed that they're doing all they can to solve things for the better. Let us be honest about our thoughts without systematically question people's dedications and move forward together and not as divided groups that involve in continued debates.